Under the Brine, You Won't Notice the Dark
by smalllfish
Summary: Peregrine Urian Sullivan Short was never meant to be a thief, much less a pirate. But when she finds herself on the run for her sticky fingers, she manages to find a safe haven on the deck of the Jolly Roger. Is this the family she's been searching for, or has she just sold her soul for the price of potential safety? Rated M for pirate-y language.


**I decided to write a Once Upon a Time fic because it is my new obsession.**

**Seriously, let's talk about it. I love everyone (especially Rumple!)**

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><p><em><strong>Black Wave<strong>_

_We can reach the sea_

_They won't follow me_

_Shadows they fear the sun_

_We can make it if we run_

It was not my finest hour. I was crouched in a stable, standing in rotting hay and horseshit, holding my breath. The guards, the damnable guards, had done their job for the first time _ever._ And that's what landed me here. They had caught me on my tiptoes with my hand in the glass case. And rather than doing the smart thing, which would have been dropping the necklace and running, I fiddled the lock and grabbed it anyway. It cost me precious seconds and that's why I was in the stable rather than on the cart with Roland. I would be stuck here until nightfall, when the cover of darkness allowed me to sneak away from the estate.

I spent those hours taking five-minute respites, all while trying to maintain my guard. I was lucky the horses didn't mind my presence, or they would have given me away in a heartbeat. I would have to leave behind the small bag I'd packed, unable to carry it through the forest. From it, I pulled my dark grey cloak and a small flask of water. I tied the cloak around my neck and stuck the flask in the waist of my pants, hoping it would stay put. Finally, I removed the unlucky necklace from its pouch and slid it over my head. A silver necklace with an emerald pendant the size of a chicken's egg, it fell just between my collarbones.

When darkness had fallen, I stuffed the necklace under my shirt and made my way from the stables. The guards hadn't been past in a few hours and it seemed safe a time as any.

That first night in the woods was as hard as my first night in the Lord Carabas' estate ten years ago. I had been only ten when my parents sold me into servitude for the Lord. My father had gambling debts that no honest man could pay. So instead of working, I was _gifted_ to Lord Carabas as a serving wench. The only token I had left from my family were the boots on my feet. My grandmother had been sick when I left, unable to argue with my father enough to help me stay. As a keepsake, she gave me the boots from her younger years. They were emerald green and still as soft as ever. At ten they had not fit, but now they did. Though soft, they did wonders against the forest terrain. It felt as though Grandma was protecting me, here in the woods.

I did not sleep well that night. I could only think of Roland, the poor stable boy, who had taught me all my tricks. He was fifteen when I arrived at the estate, and had taken pity on the poor girl who _would not stop crying!_ I wasn't exactly what you might call tough during that time. He showed me little games, how to take food from the kitchens, how to ride a horse, how to pick pockets, and eventually more adept thievery tactics. Stealing this necklace had been our plan. I would grab it, as I was smaller and stealthier. He would procure our getaway and we would be free of this cursed place. We had planned that if the guards came, we would run our separate ways. And he had, and I had no way of finding him. Neither of us had thought we would really get caught…

I travelled for two days straight, taking a few rest breaks under the cover of the forest. Just as the sun set on the second day, I found a small coastal town. With some of the money I had saved from a few royals' pockets, I rented a room at the inn, and without waiting for dinner, found my way to bed.

In the questionably comfortable bed, I slept nearly 16 hours. Just having a quilt and a straw mattress was infinitely better than a stack of pine needles. Before grabbing a bite to eat, I took a short walk around town. Not three minutes had passed when two guards from the Carabas' estate rode into town. I pulled the hood up on my cloak and slipped into the shadows. It was all I could do not to call attention to myself.

"People of Lewes. There may be a criminal amongst you. Lord Carabas has had a precious family heirloom stolen. If any one of you knows the whereabouts of this little thief, tell us immediately. You will be rewarded handsomely. My Lord assures it." As he spoke, he held up a wanted poster with my face on it. Though hand-sketched, it bore my exact likeness. It showed my long, dark hair, freckles, dainty nose, and crooked smile perfectly. I tried my damndest to sink further into the shadows, but to no avail. Subtly, I pulled my hood over my eyes even more. The guards handed out the fliers with my face and posted them to walls. As they diligently plastered the town with my poster, I walked back into the inn and paid for another night.

In a moment of desperation, I hid in my room, hoping to come up with a way to alter my appearance at least enough to get out of town, hoping maybe the mattress would swallow me whole. I fidgeted in bed for another few hours, wrestling with myself about half-laid plans for my future.

Hours later, I mustered the courage to peel myself from the bed. From the window I could see that the guards were moving on, heading down the road towards the Estate. I had known Lewes was close to the Estate, but I didn't imagine it was that close. I was now desperate to get away, far away.

But that was a problem I'd yet to find a solution to. The appearance one, well, it was the little things. I took my small dagger from my boot and held it between my teeth. In the dirty mirror on the wall, I watched myself tie back my hair. I took the dagger from my mouth, closed my eyes and sliced off my ponytail. When I reopened them, my long hair was in my hand and I now sported hair that sat way above my shoulders. It made me looker older than my 20 years, a little more severe in the face. I hid my hair beneath the mattress and walked downstairs, back to the bar. I kept my hood over my eyes and ordered a round. The bartender, an older woman, had posted the wanted poster. Seeing it up close made me shiver. Above my picture was my full name, something I hadn't seen written out in a long while. It read:

_Peregrine Urian Sullivan Short_

_Last seen: Carabas Estate_

_Wanted for: Theivery_

_Trademark: Green boots, green eyes, dark hair_

_If you see P.U.S.S_

_Contact Lord Carabas at once._

"P-U-S-S…Puss? Really?" The bartender eyed her dangerously.

"Aye, Puss. The girl's a fool to have stolen from Carabas. The man is deadlier than most. She won't be getting away with that treasure. Certainly not if she still has those silly green boots. Green boots? Who in their right mind…" I felt the heat rise in my cheeks, and I pulled my feet a little close to me. My cloak draped over them just enough that, unless they were looking really hard, no one would notice. I really should have gotten rid of them, but they were the last thing I had connecting me to the only family that had ever loved me. I felt something hitch in my throat. I let my held tilt down and I stared into my cup, wallowing in my misfortune. Maybe a few minutes had passed when a raucous group of gentleman sidled into the bar. A particularly handsome looking man raised a hand a called "a round for my crew!" to the bar maid and they took a table in the back.

"Damned, dirty pirates in my bar." The woman muttered under her breath.

"Pirates?"

"Aye lass, pirates. That's Killian Jones. Captain of the Jolly Roger, fastest ship in all the worlds. He'd be awful upset to hear you didn't know of 'em."

"I've led a sheltered life… Yesterday was the first time I'd seen the ocean up close." The bar woman gave her a close look, like she was trying to read me.

"Mighty strange you are, girl. Best be careful." With that she returned to gathering the ale for the 'damned, dirty pirates' all the while muttering under her breath about visitors.

I watched them from the corner of my eye, doing what some might call "eavesdropping," a skill I had honed at the manor. I had secret information about many of the royalty in the Enchanted Forest. Carabas and his consorts had big, big mouths when they thought no one was listening.

While they had quieted down some, I figured out that they were only in Lewes for the night, that they were setting sail tomorrow for far off lands and treasures untold. Which was enough for me. I had treasures untold; all I needed was far off lands. And if this pirate was half as good as he thought he was, his ship would be big enough for one stowaway. It was my ticket away from Carabas' men and to freedom, finally.

As the night wore on, I pretended to nurse my drink while the pirates proved themselves established drinkers. They were steadily growing louder. At one point, the Captain himself had walked up to the bar to chat with the bar woman. He took the chance the grab her wanted poster and wave it about to his crew.

"Look, look lads. A thief they call Puss." A roar of laughter sounded from his table. "Ooh, and she her trademark is a pair of green boots. A puss in boots. The portrait of a terrible thief." A second, louder roar sounded from the table. The captain joined in their revelry, smacked the poster against the bar and placed his empty cup on it. As the woman filled his glass, he turned to me. I wanted more than anything to punch that nasty smirk off his face. Laughing at me and my boots, who did he think he was! But I managed to keep my temper and I remained diligently staring in my glass. After a moment of staring, he walked back to his crew.

As they got less and less attentive as the night wore on, I found my chance to escape to the _Jolly Roger_. I placed a few coins on the bar as thanks and ducked out. I stuck close to the sides of buildings as I walked, lest a guardsman manage to sneak around a corner or see a woman wandering alone at night and ask questions. Just a few sets of buildings led me to the docks, and there stood the _Jolly Roger_. Having never seen a ship in person before, I could say it was the most beautiful one I'd ever seen. Even in the dark, it shone a golden-yellow color, complimented by black, white and blue, with masts that seemed to touch the sky. I had read about ships like this in Carabas' otherwise untouched library. It was something to behold, truly. As I made my way closer, I realized the pirates had left a crewmember on deck to stand guard. Cursing myself for not planning ahead, I walked to the water's edge, careful not to be seen. Having only ever swum in small rivers and lakes, this wide bay stirred serious fear in me. But it was quite literally sink or swim. I could take this chance, climb the anchor's chain, and hopefully manage to sneak bellow deck. Or I could wait here in Lewes, maybe make it to another town and be caught by Carabas' men. Only one option ensured some amount of freedom. I undid my cloak and dropped it to the ground. With that, I took a deep breath and dove headlong into the water.

It was bracingly cold. Without making too much noise, I swam against the current to the opposite starboard side of the boat. The anchor hung closer to the front of the boat, so I used the side to guide myself along it.

As quietly as I could, I used all my strength to pull myself up the anchor's chain. It was not an easy feat, but as my feet touched the deck, I breathed a sigh of relief. Before I could stop myself, I realized what I had done. Thankfully, my misfortune of the past few days seemed to have diminished. It appear the pirate guard had fallen asleep, a small cask of rum by his side. I surveyed the deck and my eyes fell upon a sort of latch-door that led bellow deck. Moving as noiselessly as one can with hard soled shoes on a wooden deck, I made my way over and snuck into the ship. It took some maneuvering to find what appeared to be an area of storage, but I did. After some small changes, I was concealed behind several heavy barrels. It was suddenly that sleep overcame me, the fear of the last few days washing away as my plan seemed more and more like it would work.

I dreamed of bright blue oceans and warm sands, of far off places and freedom. I was standing on the shore, the waves lapping at my bare feet when I heard someone yelling in the distance. At first it was unintelligible, but after a moment the words became clear. Someone was shouting "captain" over and over. Which made no sense until I was abruptly pulled from my dream. A rough hand had hoisted me from my hiding place. They held my cheeks tightly; I squirmed and tried my hardest to back away.

"Ah ah ah, lass. I don't think so." I knew that voice, I had heard it earlier in the evening. And then it all made sense. It was the captain of the _Jolly Roger._ And I was a far cry from safe. "It's been a long while since my ship's had a stowaway." I made a motion to speak, but he was holding too tight. I clenched my jaw and blinked, trying to get my eyes to focus in the darkness of the cargo bay. It was then that someone lit a lantern and I snapped my eyes shut again. It was too bright and too close. Another man spoke.

"Captain, that's the girl from the poster. That's the Puss in Boots, the thief." I opened my eyes and glared at him. I swatted Jones' hand away and stared daggers at him.

"It's Peregrine Urian Sullivan Short, thank you. Not Puss. "

"She speaks. And what, pray tell, are you doing on my ship?" Jones looked at my questioningly, his eyebrow raised.

"Escaping." As if that wasn't obvious. I was finally getting a close look at him. My first impression was not wrong; he was handsome, albeit scruffy.

"There's a bounty on your head, lass."

"I'm aware."

"What exactly did you steal, Puss?" I scowled and dug my hand into my collar to pull out the damned necklace. It felt too heavy in my hand. Jones smiled a wicked smile.

"This." He laughed, and I nearly punched him again. He was remarkably good at making me feel like hitting something.

"Was it worth the trouble, Puss?" He looked from me to the man holding me, but called out to the whole ship. "Alright, lads, take the girl, deposit her on shore and let's take our leave of this town. We have places to pillage, things to plunder. Pirate business." He winked at me and turned away. His pirate companion grabbed my arms and lifted me over his shoulder. It took a moment for the shock to subside, and then I was hitting back with my fists and hoping that a one of my kicks my land in a soft spot. He was carrying me above deck and we were nearly at the dock when I cried out.

"Wait, wait. Please! Jones!" The captain was on the upper deck, watching me carefully.

"What is it, Puss?"

"I'll give you the amulet, just get me away from the place. Consider it my payment for passage out of Lewes, out of Carabas' grasp. Deposit me on a shore far away and I'll be out of your hair." He seemed to be considering it, his head tilted in thought. "It's priceless, you know. He wouldn't want my head if it wasn't!"

Just as I was about to plead my case further, a commotion sounded in the shipyard. Three men on horse back were rushing through town, towards the _Jolly Roger._ I knew instantly who they were. I cried out and scratched at the pirate. In the rabble, he had loosened his grip and I was out of his arms in a moment, racing across the deck. I crashed right in Jones, he had moved to the lower deck. He held me at arms length and I almost screamed. He let go of one of my arms and yanked the necklace from my neck.

"Fine lass, this necklace is payment for you passage." I was suddenly so happy, I could have cried. "But, if you get in the way at all, you'll walk the plank." With that, he let go and called out to his men.

"Alright, lads, let's go!" The other pirates moved at his command and in what felt like mere seconds, the ship was sliding away from the docks, out towards the open water. Once we had reached the ocean, I finally let go of the breath I had been holding. I was free.

Now I just needed to not get myself killed.

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